Three Vigilantes, a Butler, and a Toddler
by Quinis
Summary: Nightwing is turned into a small child.


**Notes:** A gift for a 'Sara' on AO3.

* * *

 **Three Vigilantes, a Butler, and a Toddler.**

* * *

His eyes spot the red bat and he just latches on. His chubby hands slip over the armour but, thank goodness Jay was wearing his jacket on patrol, he manages to get a good grip around the opening of the jacket and hold on.

Rough hands pull at him, curses fly and emotions (fear, worry, abandonment) and Dick starts crying. He didn't mean to but he was only a toddler and toddlers aren't known for their emotional control.

"No, no, no," he chanted into Jason's chest.

"Come on, Dick, let go!" Jason responded, giving Dick another pull as he tried to dislodge the toddler.

"Seems like he likes you," Tim snickered. "I'll see you after patrol, Jason… maybe." However, he made the mistake of walking right past Jason and Dick.

Dick dislodged a hand from Jason's jacket and reached for whatever he could grab from Tim. Unfortunately for Tim, all he could reach was his dark hair. Dick grabbed and _pulled_ , intending on keeping Tim from leaving.

"Ow!" Tim's hands reached up and began dislodging Dick's.

"No weave!" Dick cried out, hoping they could understand him. He didn't want to be alone. He hiccups a few times, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Okay, okay! I won't leave!" Tim cried out.

"Pwomi!"

"What?"

"Promise," Jason translated with a smile on his face. He was beginning to like this Dick. It was fun watching Tim deal with him.

"I promise!"

Dick frowned but let go. Tim twirled around to glare at him and Dick marvelled at how he could almost see the pores in the teenager's face, it was that big in comparison to his tiny size.

"'Tay!" he ordered Tim, pointing his free hand at him. Jason laughed and Dick laughed too, because the rumblings in Jason's chest were tickly and warm.

"Aw, tired baby?" Jason asked when Dick yawned mid-laugh and rested his head against his chest.

Dick felt his eyes start to droop and his will to stay awake faded in the comforting bouncing and rocking motions Jason was making.

* * *

Dick woke up in the manor. Alone. His lip trembled but as he was well-rested, he found it was easier to control himself. He focused on how annoyed he was that they had left him.

Getting up was problematic. Dick stretched his hands out in front of him and balanced on them as he shifted his legs up under his body. His legs wobbled but he was determined to do this so he ignored it as best he could.

He ran, feet stumbling underneath him as he tried not to fall. He moved quick, trying to readjust his balance with each footfall.

He ran screaming into a wall, unable to figure out how to make his stubby legs turn without toppling.

Damian's shocked face hovered above him.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Wunning," Dick responded, rolling over and trying to stand again. He wobbled on his legs for a few moments before clutching Damian's legs for balance.

"I don't understand."

"Wach!" Dick said, letting go of Damian's legs and bolting down the hall. To his dismay, Damian caught up easily, picking him up.

"I don't think that's safe. Come, we will find Father."

"Eh!" Dick squeaked his agreement with that. Damian paused for a moment, his expression going the soft way it normally only did around animals. Dick blinked and stared at it. That expression had never been directed towards him and, being greedy as he was, he wanted to see it again. "Eh!" he tried again.

Damian held him closer, worried about him falling. "Be still, tiny Grayson."

"Eh!" he giggled before going quiet as he thought. This body was inconvenient, however, he liked being carried and looked after for once.

"Father, the tiny Grayson is awake and I have no idea what to do with him."

Dick looked around. They reached the BatCave without him noticing. He smiled as he saw Jason and Tim with Bruce, obviously they hadn't returned to their apartments over the night.

"Jesson!" he cheered, bouncing in Damian's arms and reaching out for the tallest. "High, high!"

"He really does like you," Tim commented.

"-tt- He has terrible taste," Damian grumbled. Dick realised he had made Damian feel sad and kissed his cheek.

"Mwah!"

Damian wasted no time passing Dick to Jason after that little display of affection with had both Tim and Jason laughing. He rubbed his cheek and glared at Dick. While an ordinary toddler might have found the expression angry, Dick could see the embarrassment and spark of happiness under it.

* * *

Bruce looked over at his boys, all focused on the little toddler in Jason's arms. He was glad that the spell which turned his eldest into the youngest seemed to turn his Nightwing uniform into a little black and blue onesie. The mask had been removed and Dick's large blue eyes were darting everywhere, elated and fascinated.

Jason was bouncing him and Bruce wondered how he had become so natural with children.

"It appears to only be temporary," he reported as his children gathered around him. There were four simultaneous sighs of relief.

"Do you think he remembers us?" Tim questioned, running his hand through Dick's short and curly dark locks. "Because he's pretty calm for being with a group of strangers."

"He's a circus brat," Jason commented, "he's probably used to lots of strange people."

"Yeah, but not being away from home," Tim countered.

"I've been informed that it's unlikely that Dick has any memories past this age," Bruce told them.

Dick giggled in Jason's arms, knowing that Bruce was wrong. He remembered everything.

"But, he said Jason earlier," Tim mused.

"Oh, so now you understand baby Dick," Jason commented, recalling the previous night. "He probably knows all our names by now."

"Jesson! Tim! D-D-Demion!" Dick called, wanting attention on him. He basked in the praise his brothers lavished on him.

Bruce turned back to the computer and Dick's face fell.

"Bwke! Bw-oo-se! Bwoose!" He cried out, trying to wrap his young mouth around his guardian's name. Then he cried out for him over and over.

"Dammit, B! Get over here!" Jason called out. He wriggled and tried to hold the hysterical toddler still.

Dick couldn't hold still. With Bruce out of his vision, he couldn't help missing him. Even though he knew Bruce was just behind the chair, the knowledge just wasn't clicking to his emotions. He needed to see him.

He was passed from Jason's arms to Bruce's.

"Calm down, Dick," Bruce said softly.

"Bwoose safe," he sighed letting himself sink into Bruce's chest. He breathed in the scent of sweat, soap and the leathery scent which came from the suits.

"Right, I vote Bruce is on baby-sitting duty!" Jason called out, dashing off to get his helmet.

"Seconded," Tim cried, leaping over the railing and heading towards his bike.

"Wait, Drake! Todd! I'm coming too!" Damian called out, following after them.

Dick lifted his head from Bruce's chest, feeling like he had dozed off for a moment. He looked around.

"Jesson? Tim? Demion?" he called out into the darkness which seemed to replace his brothers. He didn't like this. He looked up at Bruce with wide eyes. "Bwoose?"

Bruce didn't explain. He just summoned Alfred to look after Dick while he followed his wayward children. He ignored Dick's heartbreaking calls for his brothers.

"Jesson? Tim? Demion? Where Jesson? Where Tim? Broose? Where Demion? Broose?" Dick's eyes and cheeks felt hot. He knew he was about to cry. He wanted his brothers here, safe and his little body wasn't designed for that kind of emotion.

He cried and yelled when Bruce passed him to Alfred. Alfred tried hushing him, bouncing him, everything he could think off while Dick wailed for his brothers and Bruce.

In a detached way, Dick was interested to see that his younger body seemed to be designed for lengthy screaming sessions.

* * *

Alfred called them back. Then he locked down the cave. Bruce's eye twitched and the boys covered their ears at Dick's wailing.

"While Master Dick is in this body, I suggest you stay here," Alfred said. "I will take care of the changing, bathing and feeding as long as you spend time with him."

"Fine!" Bruce agreed over Dick's screaming.

Dick continued to wail as he had no idea how to stop.

"Can't you get him to stop?" Damian asked Alfred.

"I am a butler, Master Damian, not a nanny." Alfred passed Dick to Jason, who gave the butler a deer-in-the-headlights look even as he reflexively moved Dick to rest on his shoulder and started rubbing calming circles into his back.

"Why do I have to?" he demanded to know, even as Dick began calming down. Damian, Tim and even Bruce stared at him like he had magic.

Which was bull, because if Jason had magic, he would have turned Dick back already.

"I'm not paid enough for this," he grumbled.

"Fine," Bruce responded instantly, "let's go discuss your pay."

Dick giggled at the thought of Bruce paying Jason to hang out with his family. Actually, as he considered it, it sounded like a good idea… He found sucking on his thumb also helped him to focus.

* * *

"Mmm," Dick mumbled as he fussed. He needed Tim out of that chair and paying attention, now! "Mmm!"

Tim was busy typing on his laptop at the kitchen table. Dick had slipped away from Jason, who was snoozing on the couch.

"Tim!" he squeaked. It was enough for Tim to look up and around, unfortunately at adult height, somehow missing the toddler at the base of his chair. His eyes began filling with tears and he really wanted Tim's attention before this young body decided to cry again. He was still tired from the last crying session.

Tugging on Tim's pants hadn't worked and Dick was desperate.

Tim was jolted out of his work by a sharp sting on his leg. He yelped and stared down, finding Dick latched onto his leg by his teeth.

"Dick, that hurts!" he yelled.

Dick let go with an apologetic look.

"Need potty," he whimpered, shifting his weight from leg to leg in what was an adorable little dance which almost, _almost_ made Tim forgive him.

"Why can't you go yourself?" He could almost swear the kid was trying to Batglare him.

"Too _high!"_ Dick whined. He also tugged at his clothes, which Tim realised he probably couldn't get them off himself.

"O-okay," Tim said, standing up. Now, how to do this? He didn't want to try lifting Dick, in case he dropped him so he bent down and took Dick's hand. "Let's go find Alfred, okay?"

"Can you wath Tebbe with me too? Jesson fell sleep."

Tim sighed, ran a hand down his face and commented, "of course he did."

"He dith."

* * *

"Demion!" Dick squealed when Damian walked into the lounge.  
"Damian," Tim greeted with none of the excitement.

"Come wath! Come watch!" Dick ordered, standing on the couch and bouncing while Tim's hands hovered around him, to catch him if he fell.

Damian had to admit, tiny Grayson seemed to worship him. He was growing used to having someone squeal when he appeared as if it was a blessing to have him appear before them.

Yes, tiny Grayson made a great follower indeed.

"Alright, tiny Grayson," he relented, sitting next to the kid. Dick plopped down onto his lap and Damian grunted at his weight.

"Tim," Dick said, patting the spot he left. Tim shook his head. Dick frowned. "Tim."

"Do what the tiny Grayson orders, Drake," Damian said.

Tim blinked as if he was crazy but cautiously moved over and sat next to them. Dick sat between their legs, curling his arms around them in tiny hugs. He had a wide smile and settled in to watch the Disney movie Tim had put on.

They were partway through when Jason appeared frantically in the doorway.

"I can't find Dick!"

"Relax," Tim responded.

"-tt-, he's right here," Damian added, "now, hush, I'm trying to watch the movie."

Jason looked around the room, his jaw dropping at the sight of Bruce.

"He spilled his juice over my computer," Bruce commented, "and then convinced Alfred that my presence was required here."

"I doubt he used those words," Jason responded in a deadpan. He turned to leave.

"No! Jesson 'tay! Jesson sid wit Broose!"

"Sit with Bruce? No way kid."

Dick's eyes began to fill with tears.

"Jesson no 'tay?" he questioned.

"Just sit down, Jason!" Tim cried out frantically, already covering his ears.

"Todd! Sit or I'll make you sit!" Damian growled.

Jason glanced at Bruce who was giving him a look which Jason could only describe as begging.

"Fine," he relented.

* * *

Dick woke up partway through the night. It took him a few moments to realise why, that the warm toddler outfit had turned into a tough vigilante suit. He sighed and rolled up off the floor where his toddler 'bed', a mattress on the ground, had been set up.

It was late and he was still tired but he still went down to the cave, changed and came back up. This time he was sleeping in his own room.

There was chatter at his door. Dick rolled over and covered his head with a pillow. He had a tough night and Tim, _Tim of all people,_ waking up the entire household when he found baby Dick missing didn't help.

"He's back to normal?" Damian sounded disappointed.

"Seems like it," Tim said, also sounding disappointed.

"Damn." Jason was most certainly disappointed.

"At least we can patrol now," Bruce said, relieved.


End file.
